


You're On My Heart Just Like A Tattoo

by EvanesDust



Series: AU: FIRST MEETINGS [13]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Deputy Stiles Stilinski, Happy Ending, Light Angst, M/M, Misunderstandings, New Year's Eve, POV Alternating, POV Derek Hale, POV Stiles Stilinski, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Tattooed Derek Hale
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-23
Updated: 2020-12-23
Packaged: 2021-03-10 00:07:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,237
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27985119
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EvanesDust/pseuds/EvanesDust
Summary: Stiles has been waiting to find his soulmate since he was a kid. If only his soulmate felt the same way…
Relationships: Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski
Series: AU: FIRST MEETINGS [13]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1184156
Comments: 34
Kudos: 606
Collections: 12 Days of Sterek, Sterek Goodness





	You're On My Heart Just Like A Tattoo

**Author's Note:**

> forever thanks to jamie and em for all your help 💕
> 
> *what even is a 'comma'? as always… all mistakes are my own*  
> *also tags… tags are hard :/ so if anything is missing please lemme know*

Stiles groans internally for the fifth time in the last twenty minutes. It’s been a long, frustrating day. His alarm hadn’t gone off that morning, which made him late to work, and, as a punishment, his boss kept him late to finish filling out page after page of useless paperwork. All Stiles wants to do now that he’s finally off is go home and crawl into bed. Unfortunately, it’s New Year’s Eve, and he promised Jackson that he’d go out with him to ring in the new year. It seemed like a good idea at the time. That is until Jackson ditched him as soon as they entered the crowded bar.

He tries to scope out the crowd, but there are too many people in such an enclosed space, and he can’t make out any faces. At least, none that he recognizes. He weaves through the crowd, pushing past overly-enthusiastic couples and stumbling drunks.

Once he’s finally standing in front of the large wooden monstrosity that is the bar, he thrums his fingers on the countertop, still looking around.

“What can I get ya?” The bartender calls out to him over the noise.

He shouts his order over the headache-inducing mixture of music and yelling, and hopes the bartender heard him. Thankfully, it’s not long before a cold beer slides in front of him. He quickly uses a napkin to wipe off the condensation on the glass before downing it, hoping that it will help take the edge off and loosen him up. He _wants_ to have a good time.

“Stiles?”

He turns around and locks eyes with Isaac Lahey, an old friend from high school. “Hey man,” he says with surprise. It’s been a long time since they’ve seen each other and Isaac, who’s always been tactile, immediately pulls him into a tight hug.

“How the hell have you been, Lahey?” Stiles chuckles, patting him on the back.

“Good, good. You? I heard you’re a deputy now.”

“Yeah, it’s only been a few weeks, though.” Stiles looks Isaac over and takes in the BHFD logo on his shirt. “Fire department? Wow!”

“Yeah.” Isaac gets the bartender's attention and orders some drinks. “Hey, are you here with Jackson?” Because everyone knows that wherever Stiles is, Jackson is close by, and vice versa.

“Yeah...kinda lost him, though.” Stiles does a cursory glance and, yup, still no Jackson.

“You should sit with us. Jackson will find you eventually.”

“Us?” he asks, following Isaac into the crowd, after a couple of drinks are thrust into his hands.

Isaac doesn’t answer, but soon Stiles comes face to face with another person he recognizes. “Dude! Boyd, holy shit!” He greets Boyd with an enthusiastic wave. The frenzied motion throws him off balance for a moment.

“Long time no see, Stilinski.” Boyd chuckles as he reaches out to stop Stiles from toppling over. “Graceful as ever, I see.”

“Yeah.” Stiles shrugs nonchalantly—he’s never had the best coordination—and his eyes track Boyd’s movement as he subconsciously leans into the woman at his side. She appears to be having a deep conversation with someone, though their words are too low for him to hear.

The tall, leggy blonde woman with cherry-red lips and a sly smile looks familiar, though he can’t quite place her. Of course, he’s not trying too hard because his brain short circuits at the sight of the man she’s talking to.

Standing before Stiles is easily _the_ most gorgeous man that has ever graced his vision. They’re probably the same height from what he can tell, but the man is definitely built sturdy. The man’s black jeans cling to his thick, muscular thighs, and his shirt is pulled taut over the wide expanse of the guy’s chest and abs, barely containing his six-pack—at least, that’s what it looks like from what Stiles can see under the black leather jacket he’s wearing.

None of that means anything, though, when Stiles is confronted by how breathtakingly beautiful the man is. His sharp cheekbones and five o’clock shadow accentuate his strong jawline and suck all the air out of Stiles’ lungs. And his _eyes_! A kaleidoscope of colors that Stiles could _easily_ get lost in.

Despite the man’s incredible looks, however, it’s not like Stiles is going to do anything about it—a thought that makes him sigh wistfully. He’s not shy or insecure, or anything like that. If he were so inclined, Stiles wouldn’t have any qualms about going up and talking to the man—maybe getting his number or promise of a date—but it’s just not what he does.

Stiles wants love. _True_ love. The kind of love that books are written about and inspire movies. The love of a soulmate.

He has one. Everyone does. Just the thought of someday meeting his has him pressing his fingers against the soulmark etched on his hip.

He’s still staring when the man throws his head back in a loud, guttural laugh. It’s _gorgeous_. The way the man’s face lights up, eyes crinkling in the corners, is breathtaking. His entire body shakes from it and he puts a hand on his stomach to contain himself. After his laughter has died down, the man takes off his jacket, exposing his arms. Before Stiles can help it, he makes a pleased noise at the myriad of tattoos that cover his arms—his eyes drawn to the wolf howling into the night sky, amid a forest of trees. This guy likes his ink, that’s for sure.

As Stiles studies them—because even though he has no tattoos of his own, aside from his soulmark, he can still appreciate the beautiful artistry on the man’s golden skin—he sees something that takes his breath away.

“No way,” he whispers in awe.

In that moment, the rest of the bar fades away and it’s like his world narrows down to just the two of them. There, on the man’s forearm—almost obscured by the other markings—is Stiles’s soulmark. The intricate pattern of swirls is something he'd recognize anywhere, even if Derek's was clearly designed to blend into the background of clouds—a moon peeking through—above the forest. He can’t help but take a step closer.

The conversation his soulmate is having gets a little louder, and it’s shocking how soft the man’s voice is, compared to his sharp features and tattoo-covered skin.

He watches the way the man’s face pulls down into a frown as he talks and can’t help but listen in to what he’s speaking about so passionately.

“No, I just think it’s stupid to wait around for something that probably won’t lead to anything. If you look at the statistics, there’s a good percentage that don’t ever meet their match. And the ones that do? Some of them don’t even end up being romantic.”

“ _Some_ , Derek. Not all.” The blonde has her arms crossed and wears an impressive glare on her face.

“Listen.” The guy— _Derek_ —crosses his arms, making his biceps bulge. “I just think it’s pointless to sit around and wait. People should go out and date.”

“What, like you? It’s hilarious how you tell others to go out and date before meeting their soulmates and yet I’ve never seen you with _anyone_.”

“That’s not why and you know it.”

Stiles barks out a laugh. Not a ‘haha that’s funny’ laugh, more of a ‘sob in the corner because clearly the world is against him’ laugh. He shouldn’t have eavesdropped. He’d much rather have kept to his imagination of one day meeting and falling in love with his soulmate than be confronted with a soulmate that doesn’t believe in them.

Hands wave in front of his face and he’s brought out of his reverie. “Sorry, what?” Isaac laughs and clasps him on the shoulder. He shakes his head and tries to refocus, to ignore the fact that his soulmate is right there.

The blonde woman looks amused as she speaks, her attention no longer on the man by her side. “Wow. Some things never change. I really don’t know how I ever had a crush on you. But you’ll always be my batman.”

His lips quirk up in a smile at a long-lost memory. “ _Erica_?! Wow, you look…” She’s different from the friend he remembers, not the shy girl who would try and blend into the crowd.

“I could say the same for you Stilinski.” She reaches over his soulmate— _reluctant soulmate?_ —and presses on Stiles’s chest. “I don’t quite remember there being so much muscle. Very nice.”

“Hey now, it was there. Not as much, but it was there.” Derek barks out a laugh, and Stiles tries not to be awkward as he thrusts out a hand. “Um, hey, I don’t think we’ve met. I’m Stiles.”

Derek gives him a once-over followed by a firm handshake. “Derek.”

* * *

Derek’s eyes trail over Stiles’s body. _He’s cute_.

The upturned nose, big Bambi-like eyes, sinful lips, and adorably messy hair… _Oh yeah_ , Stiles is definitely his type. And that’s not even taking in the broad shoulders tapering down to a trim waist he’d like to grab.

But Derek can tell that Stiles is more than meets the eye. There are definitely some nice, lean muscles hiding under the oversized shirt and too large khakis. He’s a little more than intrigued by the contrast of dark hair and smatterings of moles across creamy white skin.

Maybe he should feel bad about the way he’s blatantly checking Stiles out except he saw the way Stiles looked at him. There’s definitely some mutual attraction. At least on the physical aspect.

 _Maybe I’ll get lucky tonight_ , he wonders.

Isaac points to a table that just emptied and they all head over. Derek lets Erica slide into the booth first before sitting next to her. Boyd sits across from her with Isaac plopping himself down in the free spot.

Derek can feel the heat of Stiles’s gaze but when he glances up, Stiles is looking at Isaac. “Well, I don’t really wanna intrude. It was great to see you guys again but I should—”

“You’re not intruding.” Thank God for Isaac because Derek’s not ready for Stiles to leave. “I asked you to join us. Squeeze in next to Derek.”

At Isaac’s words, Derek practically shoves Erica over to make room for Stiles. He winks as he pats the seat next to him and a blush rises on Stiles’s cheeks, another lovely contrast on his skin.

 _Just how far down does that blush go_?

There’s scorching heat where their bodies are pressed together. Completely intentional as there’s a clear gap between himself and Erica, but there’s just something about Stiles that pulls him in and makes him want.

Time flies by as he learns more about Stiles. Boyd talks about how Erica had a crush on him before they met, prompting Erica to give him a pointed look. Luckily Stiles’s friend, Jackson, finds them, distracting her from what would likely be _another_ conversation about how he should find his soulmate.

It’s not that he doesn’t want to find them. He just doesn’t feel that he should shun all relationships while he waits. Derek loves the idea of being in a relationship and doting on the person he’s with—if he’d ever get the chance. He knows until he meets his soulmate that every relationship is temporary, and he’s okay with that.

Though, for some reason, as he looks at Stiles, the idea of temporary doesn’t settle well with him. Just the mere thought of Stiles walking away and potentially ending up with someone else sets him off-balance. Somehow, Stiles has already wrangled his way into Derek’s heart, giving him _hope_.

When Jackson and Isaac start cracking jokes about Stiles and lacrosse, Derek finds himself becoming irrationally jealous because they’ve all known Stiles for years, and he wishes he’d had that chance.

Stiles seems like a spark of life. The kind of person that instantly makes your life better for having known them. Derek is drawn into his stories about childhood and captivated by the animated way in which Stiles talks with his entire being.

It seems they’re making up for lost time, like they’re old friends, with the way Stiles talks to him and asks questions about his work and family. They lean into each other as they speak, hands brushing—probably on accident in Stiles’s case, purposefully in Derek’s—but he can’t seem to make himself stop.

As the night wears on, Derek is enthralled by Stiles’s smile—the way it takes over his whole face. Derek could spend the rest of his life watching Stiles smile. It’s probably doable given that Stiles seems as easily transfixed by him, though there does seem to be some hesitance. Derek’s caught him openly staring, only for Stiles to turn away, that damn blush still high on his cheeks.

When the ball drops, counting down to midnight, Derek takes a chance and steps into Stiles’s space, cupping his face—the heat warming his palms.

“What are you doing?” Wide, amber eyes look at him, and when Stiles wets his lips, Derek rubs his thumb over the plump bottom lip. Maybe it’s not forever, but Derek knows Stiles is worth whatever heartbreak is in his future.

Cheering erupts around them and Derek swallows thickly before pulling Stiles in and kissing him gently. “Happy New Year, Stiles.”

* * *

Stiles’s lips part in a soft gasp when Derek kisses him. Sure, they’ve been close all night, drawn together the way soulmates are, but Derek doesn’t believe in them. Guilt consumes him because Derek doesn’t know and Stiles worries that Derek will push him away once he finds out.

“Stiles?” Derek pulls away, and Stiles realizes that he never responded.

“Um, yeah. Y-you too. Happy New Year, Derek.”

“Where’d you go? I feel like I lost you somewhere in there?” Derek brushes the hair from Stiles’s forehead and taps on his temple.

So fucking unfair that Derek can read him so well already. How is Stiles supposed to go on with his life, knowing that Derek is out there and they’ll never be together? Because the last thing Stiles is going to do is force himself or a relationship on a person that doesn’t want to even _meet_ their soulmate.

He needs to pull away. It wouldn’t be fair to Derek to attempt anything knowing how Derek feels about soulmates. But there’s still that desire, that _need_ , to get to know him.

Stiles smiles sadly as he pulls back. “Sorry, I just— I wasn’t really expecting that.”

Derek’s smile falters. “I’m so sorry. Did I read that wrong? It seemed like you were into me and—”

“No, it wasn’t— I…” Stiles inhales deeply before blowing out a slow breath. “This, us, I— I would like to be friends, Derek, but I don’t think it would work between us.”

Derek’s tongue peeks out from between his lips, and Stiles bites on his bottom lip as Derek’s face falls into a stony expression.

“Let me guess. You’re waiting for your soulmate.” Derek doesn’t sound angry, just resigned, like he’s been through this before.

The only thing Stiles can do is tell the truth. Yes, he’s waiting for his soulmate. “Yeah. I guess I am.”

Stiles hates the way Derek nods and curls in on himself, all crestfallen and dejected.

“I should go.” Stiles turns, looking through the crowd for Jackson.

“He left.”

Stiles’s gaze snaps back to Derek, face scrunched in confusion.

“Your friend. He left with some red-head that came in a while ago.”

Red-head? That could only mean— “Fuck! That’s his ex from high school.” Stiles throws his head back and lets out a long drawn-out groan. Jackson was supposed to be his ride so he didn’t have to walk all the way home after the bar. “Guess I’ll call a cab then…”

This night has been a fucking rollercoaster and Stiles is ready for it to be over now.

“I can give you a ride.” Derek’s hands are shoved into the pockets of those sinfully tight jeans and all Stiles can think is ‘this is a bad idea.’

“You don’t have to do that, Derek. Really.”

“I do. It can be my way of making up for the fact that I kissed you without your consent. I shouldn’t have done that. I should have asked.”

“Derek, believe me, the kiss is not an issue. I didn’t mind it. I liked it. I just—” Stiles sighs heavily and scratches at his neck, a nervous habit since childhood. God, he just needs to suck it up and tell him. Just get everything out in the open, blurt out the truth. “It means something different for me. And that’s not fair to you.”

“Fair to me? Because you’re waiting for your soulmate?” Derek’s brows pull in, scrunching up in clear confusion.

Stiles pulls up at the hem of his shirt with one hand, and tugs down his pants a little with the other, exposing his hip and the matching swirls to the mark on Derek’s forearm. “Because you’re my soulmate, and you don’t believe in them.”

* * *

Derek’s eyes latch onto the small strip of skin, at the soulmark etched onto Stiles’s hip. He holds out his arm, looking at his own matching mark before glancing back up at Stiles.

_Soulmate._

“I should’ve told you earlier, but I heard what you were saying to Erica before and I got scared, but I totally understand if you’re mad and you don’t want to see me ag—“

Derek grabs Stiles’s face, cutting him off with a kiss. Stiles is his soulmate. This is incredible, more than Derek ever dreamed. When they break apart, Derek lays his head on Stiles’s shoulder. “I never said I didn’t believe in them.”

“But earlier—”

Derek looks up. Stiles’s face is scrunched adorably, the confusion evident as he tilts his head. He places his hands on Stiles’s waist, wanting—no, _needing_ —to touch him in some way. “What I said was that people should live their lives freely instead of waiting around for something that might not happen. But I’ve always believed in them. I always hoped I’d be one of the lucky ones.”

“So you—” Stiles looks nervous, chewing on his bottom lip. Derek brings one hand up to cup his face again and runs his thumb over it while Stiles speaks. “You wanna be with me?”

“Yeah. I was already into you. I was ready to have my heart broken for just a moment of time with you, but knowing you’re mine? My soulmate? Yes, Stiles. I want to be with you.”

Stiles flashes him a face-splitting grin before jumping into his arms. “Well, in that case…”

Derek settles one hand on Stiles’s ass and brings the other up to run his fingers through the hair on the nape of Stiles’s head as they kiss. He ignores Erica’s whistle and lewd comments about them finding a room.

When Stiles pulls back, Derek feels his heart flip in his chest. He’ll get to have this, Stiles in his arms, for the rest of his life.

“So.” Stiles presses their foreheads together, drowning out the chatter around them until everyone else disappears. “I believe you said something about a ride?”

Derek huffs a laugh and nods. “Yeah. Let’s get out of here. We have a lot of catching up to do.”

**Author's Note:**

> kudos and comments give me life <3  
> no like seriously, i’m addicted to them
> 
> i’ve got a [tumblr](http://evanesdust.tumblr.com/)


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